Metal body bench/block plane for woodworking?

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Alan H.

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I am looking for plans for metal body bench and block planes. As an avid woodworker, I have wanted to make a couple as projects and thought I would ask here.

The publication Shop Notes had a couple - here they are. Any tips to sources or perhaps examples you've done would be appreciated.

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Nice pictures. I do not know about plans. I have not yet built my own infill plane, but I milled a really bad Stanley #5 knock-off to be the body for my first attempt.

Don at TimeTestedTools has made some nice infill planes. He likely does not have plans, but you can read his posts on building his infill planes.

TimeTestedTools infill planes
 
Japanese Kanna! If you haven't tried them, you should.
 
You might look at the site below for ideas. Looks like you could use a steel shoe with brass or bronze sides, and dovetail the two together given that you have a mill. The other alternative is to have the body cast at a foundry, you could design the body maybe with a 3D printer? Years ago when I was building boats I fabricated molds that we sent to foundries to cast bronze healing bearings for the rudder, and other parts. Was fun to see the process and the end result. There are some posting of individuals casting iron planes, but need to get the correct metallurgy. Some of the plane parts are available the online vendors like Woodcraft. I have an assortment of planes from many decades ago, my go to plane is still a Japanese hardwood pull type (same as the Kanna) that must be 50+ years old.
http://sauerandsteiner.blogspot.com/
KPA5-2.jpg
 

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Never built a plane but I do know how to sharpen and tune one up, nothing more satisfying than getting one perfect shaving from the entire length of a board...
 
I've no plans to build my own plane although I have several Bedrocks and such that I restored. Those are seriously gorgeous though!
 
You might look at the site below for ideas. Looks like you could use a steel shoe with brass or bronze sides, and dovetail the two together given that you have a mill. The other alternative is to have the body cast at a foundry, you could design the body maybe with a 3D printer? Years ago when I was building boats I fabricated molds that we sent to foundries to cast bronze healing bearings for the rudder, and other parts. Was fun to see the process and the end result. There are some posting of individuals casting iron planes, but need to get the correct metallurgy. Some of the plane parts are available the online vendors like Woodcraft. I have an assortment of planes from many decades ago, my go to plane is still a Japanese hardwood pull type (same as the Kanna) that must be 50+ years old.
http://sauerandsteiner.blogspot.com/
View attachment 267351

Thanks for the inspiration Mark. I checked that blog out and the examples there are spectacular.
 
I've built a number of hand planes, I would recommend pining the sides, not dovetails.
Match the sides to the base, drill and thread holes, attach with screws.
Process is not as easy as it looks, but with precision you can end up with a plane as good as the most high end products by sauer and steiner, Holtey, Ron Brees., though probably not the first time:apologize:
Or you can buy a kit to build one.

hand plane 2sca.jpg
 
Pacifica, very, very nice!

How is the stairstep nose done? How 'bout anohter photo or two? Many thanks.
 
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